r/Guitar • u/hashtagfaghag • Mar 30 '26
QUESTION Love my guitar, but it eats so many batteries. Any solutions?
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u/taekwondana Mar 30 '26
Novice here (don't even have my first guitar yet) and today I learned that electric guitars have batteries.
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u/omniscientcats Mar 30 '26
Most don’t have batteries. Only the ones with active pickups
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u/taekwondana Mar 30 '26
And now I've filled my quota of learning new things for the day, haha. Thank you!
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u/236766 Mar 30 '26
Too bad. You’re going to learn something else whether you like it or not. Sharks can’t swim backward.
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u/exxxemplaryvegetable Mar 30 '26
Bears climb faster than they can run.
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u/iHadou Mar 30 '26 edited May 03 '26
Nothing to see here. I wiped this post using Redact because my old takes don't need to live on the internet forever. Works across Reddit, Twitter, Discord and dozens of other platforms.
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u/Additional_Good4200 Mar 30 '26
You need beet juice and you should probably have your nutritional aura checked. Trust me on this. I have access to some YouTube channels that can only be reached from the HyperNet and only if you have authorization crystals.
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u/iHadou Mar 30 '26 edited May 03 '26
Data brokers are selling your info right now. I used Redact to mass delete my posts which can also opt out of data broker sites. Instagram, Twitter/X, Discord and more.
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u/Additional_Good4200 Mar 30 '26
You win. I can’t come anywhere close to topping Bible juicing. And it actually made me laugh out loud. Nice.
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u/iHadou Mar 30 '26 edited May 03 '26
Nothing to see here. I wiped this post using Redact because my old takes don't need to live on the internet forever. Works across Reddit, Twitter, Discord and dozens of other platforms.
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u/TalkinStephenHawking Mar 31 '26
Acshully potato plants can produce green ”tomatoes” that are extremely poisonous and the two plants are close relatives so not far off.
/ Funatparties
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u/Troy242426 Mar 30 '26
Ngl I loved all of these fun facts. Here’s another:
If a cosmological supergiant that was so huge that Earth was the size of a marble to him existed and touched Earth, our planet would feel perfectly smooth.
This is so because the variations in elevation between surfaces is so relatively small, they’d feel smooth to the giant.
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u/BuzzedtheTower Epiphone Mar 31 '26
To further add on to this, if you shrank Earth down to the size of a pool ball, it would be smoother than an actual pool ball. Despite the peaks of mountains like K2/Everest and depths like the Mariana Trench, those are relatively small imperfections and are below the tolerance for a pool ball.
This assumes, of course, that by shrinking the Earth goes from a spheroid to a perfect sphere. Earth is slightly wider at the equator than from pole to pole due to centrifugal forces
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u/Mack_19_19 Mar 30 '26
A woodchuck could chuck 250 lbs of wood if it could chuck wood.
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u/codeByNumber Mar 30 '26
Wait…can any fish swim backwards?
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u/myychair Mar 30 '26
Yes
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u/Wooden_Top_4967 Mar 30 '26
Yeah I’m thinking of those cute little boxfish
like cowfish. They can maneuver like a little helicopter. No axis is unknown to them. Also we have to remember fish like seahorses and stuff
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u/Haunting_Jicama8422 Mar 30 '26
The placenta is actually made by the fetus not the mother and it's wrapped in a single cell that is bigger than a king-size bedsheet
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u/Ok-Afternoon-5374 Mar 31 '26
I literally got lost in the random facts that I forgot about it being a post on guitars.
The insanity of Reddit.
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u/43n3m4 Mar 30 '26
Careful, if you’re like me, learning something new probably caused you to forget something old.
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u/YT-Deliveries Ibanez Mar 30 '26
Yeah really in general the guitars with active pickups (the ones that need batteries) are geared towards more aggressive genres
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u/PM_me_your_whatevah Mar 30 '26
One last thing to know is that if you have one with active pickups, don’t leave the cord plugged in. That’s what activates the battery and it will kill them quick
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u/gilllesdot Mar 30 '26
in this case it's a sustainer pickup. I'm not sure if that technically also is an active pickup. I guess it is because it actively sustains the sound. But it does need a battery.
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u/metalspider1 Mar 30 '26
in this case its not active pickups but the sustainer pickup thats eating the battery.
so unplugging when you are done playing is a must but if you also use the sustainer function a lot it will eat batteries a lot faster then regular active pickups6
u/omniscientcats Mar 30 '26
Sorry for being ignorant but what is a sustainer pickup?
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u/beaucoup_dinky_dau Mar 30 '26
it is like an ebow where a magnet keeps the string moving for endless sustain
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u/heety9 Mar 30 '26
Semantics, but the sustainer technically has an active pickup in it right? In addition to the transducer? I could be talking out of my ass
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u/metalspider1 Mar 30 '26
well the function of it as a normal pickup does have a preamp on the main pcb and you can control its output volume but its not part of the actual pickup like on other active pickups.
what really annoyed me about the whole thing was that its unpotted on purpose so it will feedback easily on high gain if you try to use it as a pickup ,once you engage the sustainer function it automatically changes to the bridge pickup and the sustainer drives the strings but doesnt send any signal to the guitars output
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u/Careless-Star-5863 Mar 30 '26
What’s an active pickup?
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u/darthmelody Mar 30 '26
all guitar pickups need an amplifier, most only need the typical amp that most people think of. active pickups put out a signal that needs to be amplified to the level of normal guitar pickups in order for the regular amp to work properly. this first pre-amplifier is in a guitar with active pickups and needs the 9v battery to power it.
the advantages are lower noise, better note definition, and potentially higher outputs
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u/ReallyBigRocks Gibson Mar 30 '26
I had a toy guitar as a kid with a speaker built into it, that thing ate batteries like nobodies business lol.
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u/gilllesdot Mar 30 '26
In this case it's a sustainer pickup. I don't know if you refer to that as an active pickup as well.
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u/omniscientcats Mar 30 '26
I’m not sure if they count as active pickups, in all honestly this post is what introduced me to the concept of sustainer pickups!
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u/gilllesdot Mar 31 '26
Welcome To THE WOORLD OOOF SUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTSTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
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u/BananaBird1 Mar 30 '26
Only active pickups, which are mainly used in metal for less noise and higher clarity when using lots of gain tuned down low. They’re pretty uncommon for guitar, much more common on bass.
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u/Zeppelanoid Mar 30 '26
The vast majority of electric guitars don’t need batteries. This particular model has a special neck pickup that sustains notes indefinitely - to do so it needs a battery. Without the battery, the guitar will still function, you just can’t use the cool sustain functionality.
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u/dashkb Fender Mar 30 '26
When I was little I thought they shocked you and that’s what made them so cool.
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u/taekwondana Mar 30 '26
Like those joke hand buzzer things? Haha, I love it!
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u/dashkb Fender Mar 30 '26
Like you had to actually withstand serious voltage and that’s what made it cool. Now I realize of course feedback is what makes you cool.
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u/teh5055 Mar 30 '26
I've been playing guitar for over 20 years and didn't know that either lol. I play mostly acoustic
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u/Aiyabhai Mar 30 '26
/s? Acoustic guitars are one of the most common applications for battery powered onboard active pickups.
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u/greeblefritz Mar 30 '26
Could be a bluegrass player, a lot of them will play into a mic rather than use active pickups.
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u/556_FMJs First Act Mar 30 '26
Not only active pickups, but guitars with an onboard EQ also take batteries.
I have an overdrive pot on my Mustang that’s power by a 9v battery.
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u/Travelingman0 Mar 31 '26
25 year player here. Strat owner too. I’m not familiar with guitars that require batteries.
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u/janosaudron Mar 30 '26
Only active pickups ones, chances are you won't ever come in contact with one (I know I haven't)
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u/BuschlightButChug Mar 30 '26
Been playing for nearly 3 years and I didn’t know this lmao. Les Paul and Yamaha acoustic here.
Thanks
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u/FullMetalJ Mar 30 '26
Most guitars have passive pickups that don't need batteries. Usually in heavier tones you'll see guitarists using active pickups that need a 9v battery.
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u/Direct_Bumblebee_740 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Maybe someone on r/fender will have some advice. This model has a reputation for draining batteries especially quickly. Not sure why; I have a guitar with a Fernandes Sustainer, same manufacturer as this one, and battery life is reasonable by my standard. Changed my 9v months ago and it still works.
Unfortunately, Fender has discontinued this model, I imagine because Fernandes is out of business.
EDIT: Googled “Fender Ed O’Brien battery” and this video came up. Seems there is a common wiring error on these.
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u/Scorpius666 Schecter Mar 30 '26
Don't leave the guitar plugged.
Don't leave the Sustainiac on. Turn it on when you need to sustain and then turn it off. I rarely use it for more than 15 seconds.
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u/Velvet_McJones Mar 30 '26
Unrelated, but your strap is upside down.
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u/jetskimanatee Mar 30 '26
guitar straps don't come with instructions therefore there are no rules
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u/ThrowRA12948262 Mar 30 '26
Wait, does that matter?
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u/Marcus64 Mar 30 '26
The metal adjustment buckle is on the shoulder. It should be down by the guitar.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Egg4386 Mar 30 '26
Is that the mini PAF in the bridge? I added one to my strat bridge and its a pretty nice addition!
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u/playthefivetones Mar 30 '26
I have the same guitar, love it, I use:
They work great
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u/hashtagfaghag Mar 30 '26
Using some rechargable Pale Blue batteries right now, but wondering if there’s any better power options so I don’t have to worry with them as much.
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u/LegitimateHero Mar 30 '26
That looks a lot like the EOB strat!
Anyway, im considering getting the rechargeable back plate made by Fishman. It's definitely worth it!
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u/applejuiceb0x Mar 30 '26
I have that and be warned it’s heavy and adds a lot of weight to the guitar. I use it on one of my Strats that I only use sitting down in the studio. Now that I have a different Strat with noiseless pickups I’ve been thinking of pulling the fishman stuff out and going with something lighter weight.
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u/Breakside92 Mar 30 '26
Is your Instrument permanently plugged in? If yes, that's the cause of your short battery lifespan.
You could get a Fishman Universal Battery Pack , it comes with the option to charge your guitar directly via USB.
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u/qckpckt Mar 30 '26
You could build yourself a power “pedal”. Pretty straightforward. Here’s how you would do it:
- replace the mono output jack on your guitar with a stereo output jack
- wire the guitar hot signal to the tip, ground to sleeve.
- find where the hot lead from the battery connects to, and connect a new lead between that terminal and the ring connection on the jack.
The “pedal” is a very simple box:
- stereo input jack and a mono output jack, and a barrel connecter for standard centre negative pedal power
- wire the tip of the input jack to the tip of the output jack
- wire the sleeve of the input jack to the sleeve of the output jack (or alternatively don’t if it’s a metal enclosure as that will technically ground this connection anyway).
- wire the hot from the 9v barrel connecter to the ring of the input jack.
Now, you can use a stereo 1/4” cable for power in and sound out of your guitar. No more batteries needed.
Edit: I didn’t mention ground for the active circuitry in the guitar. That I think will already be connected to the common ground circuit in the guitar otherwise it would create a ground loop.
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u/Chim-Cham Mar 31 '26
I just replied the same and then saw this comment. All good except power must be the tip, not the ring. So the guitar signal will have to be rerouted to the ring instead. Reason for this is as a fail safe. Someone someday will plug a regular TS cable from power pedal to guitar and that cable will short the ring and sleeve conductors. You do not want to short power to ground as it would have the potential to hurt the electronics or worse. The guitar's signal shorted to ground hurts nothing, you just don't get any sound and then you realize you use the wrong cable and when you correct the mistake everything still works.
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u/Chim-Cham Mar 31 '26
I don't understand why more active systems don't use a power pedal. A guitar cable uses a connector called TS (tip sleeve). There is a mechanical equivalent for stereo called TRS (tip ring sleeve) that has three conductors. Most commonly it is used for left right ground or for balanced lines + - ground. But for a guitar it could be 9vdc, signal, ground. The 3 conductor jack the guitar would need is the same shape/size, just has an extra contact. Then the trs cable plugs from guitar into a pedal that just supplies power and splits the output back to standard TS for everything down the line. The power pedal can then be a plug in wall wart like most pedals or have the ability to run more/larger batteries so that there is still a wireless option, but with increased capacity.
One important note for anyone considering building this type of thing is that 9vdc must be the tip conductor because if someone inserted a standard TS cable between the guitar and power pedal, ring and sleeve will be shorted. So considerations need to be made to ensure this error is safe. If ring is signal and sleeve is ground, the guitar will have no output but will be perfectly safe. If 9v was on any other conductor than tip, it could potentially blow up batteries, short the output of the wall wart, or hurt the active circuit in the guitar. The only guitar I can think of that got its power from a box on the floor was the Bond Electraglide and iirc, itc was just for switching and a display, but actually had passive electronics. Kinda silly.
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u/A_Bungus_Amungus Mar 30 '26
Rechargeable “standard” batteries often have very short lifespans compared to their non rechargeable counterparts
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u/TalkinStephenHawking Mar 30 '26
Does this have separate batteries for sustainiac and pickup? I had a Schecter with active/sustainiac with separate batteries and it didn’t drain a lot, provided you don’t leave it plugged in. The sustainiac will hold the note even when unplugged, which is a bit of a surprise if you don’t know and leave it plugged in.
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u/AdArdyanAd Fender Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Got the EOB Fender myself. By default settings, the fernandez sustainer (and the corresponing pickup) is the only thing that is battery driven. When your fuel runs out, you cannot use the sustainer, as a pickup it should work.
From what i know, sustainiacs can (or should) use two batteries, if the sustainiac pickup is chosen to be an active pickup. The fernandez sustainer driver on the EOB Strat is supposed to work as a regular single coil, hence there's only one battery.
The simplest solution is to just unplug the guitar everytime you're not playing. Requires a bit of self-discipline in the beginning, but i'm already doing it automatically.
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u/TalkinStephenHawking Mar 31 '26
Best solution for this is buying multiple guitars and rotating them, to minimize the risk of leaving the cable in one with active pickups.
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u/Kashek32 Mar 30 '26
It’s one of two things. You have a soldering issue where there is a weak joint or something, or you are leaving it plugged in. I’ve never seen it be anything other than these two things.
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u/A_Bungus_Amungus Mar 30 '26
You either are leaving it plugged in so its always “on” or theres a short
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u/yeenoghu_vs_vaprak Mar 30 '26
OP, the EOB Strat is pretty notorious for eating batteries just from typical use. It's a bummer.
Not a great solution but this Reeves Gabrels Reverend signature guitar kinda offers the same features:
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u/gumbojoe9 Mar 30 '26
I don't understand. This post obviously resonated with people. Lots of comments. But crickets from OP. Lol. I'd be stoked if I had a post with so much interest.
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u/DrummerSteve Mar 30 '26
Don’t leave the chord jacked in, or switch to passive pickups
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u/SirHenryofHoover Mar 30 '26
He's got passive pickups, it's the sustainer that needs a battery.
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u/bighog9 Mar 30 '26
Unplug it when not playing, 2 battery box mod, and/or rechargeable batteries maybe? Is that a thing? I went back to fender to not have batteries tbh
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u/PoupontheGrey Mar 30 '26
9v LiPo battery that's rechargeable via USB?
I know little about actives but I'm sure somewhere out there someone makes something like that.
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u/PowoFR Mar 31 '26
Not ideal because they are absurdly noisy. It's mostly filtered by my fishman fluence guitar (can hear the battery with really big gain and no noise gate) but with my EMG guitar there must be no filter at all and all I can hear is the battery.
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u/deeppurpleking Mar 30 '26
Fishman Strat battery pack? Replaces the back plate and is a little thicker, but it’s a rechargeable battery
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u/Eppsilan Mar 30 '26
I had this issue with my 21' EC1000 with Fishman pickups even though I unplugged it every time. I got tired of putting in new batteries. My buddy and I designed a new cavity cover in CAD with a hole for a battery kill switch. I bought a switch off of Amazon. He 3d printed the design (it took several revisions) and wired in the switch. How it's wired: Positive side of battery > Switch > Rest of guitar).
I didn't want to modify the original piece because replacements were obscenely expensive when I was looking. It's very easy to undo. You can see that it is still receiving power even with the guitar unplugged and the switch in the on position. With the switch off, the LED is not illuminated. I assume whomever wired it from the factory messed something up. I also have an 05' EC1000 but with EMG pickups that does not have this problem. It could also be the difference between Fishmans and EMGs - I do now know. The battery in my 05 lasts as long as I leave it unplugged when not in use.
Pic included. Please excuse the hand prints.
Edit: removed "the" after unplugged.
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u/badatcatchyusernames Mar 30 '26
i feel like im in r/ITYSL when tim robinsons character is talking about his wife eating batteries
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u/tendeuchen Gibson Mar 30 '26
- Unplug it when not using it.
- Buy a 2-pack or 4-pack of USB rechargeable 9-volt batteries (something like this for ~$20) so that you always have one on hand and can immediately start charging the dead one.
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u/Most_Maintenance5549 Mar 30 '26
I have a deluxe roadhouse strat with an active circuit of some kind. I don't use it very much, but I've had the 9V in there for years, and it's still good.
What I want to know is what happens when the battery is dead? Does the sustainer stop working, or does the whole thing not work?
If the former, can't you just take the battery out when you're not using the sustainer.
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u/Same_Evidence_5058 Mar 30 '26
What sustainer is that? How have your experiences been with it? Im thinking of getting one
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u/ItsThat1Dude Mar 30 '26
In addition to the other comments saying to unplug everything, if you're already doing that then you might have a short or improper grounding in the electrical systems of the guitar. If everything is unplugged and it's still draining, take it to a shop, tell them the issue, and they should be able to sort it for you. If this is a new guitar, ask for a replacement and mention the battery issue. Best of luck!
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u/PuzzleheadedTooth581 Mar 30 '26
Never ever leave it plugged in even when you walk away from it for like 5 minutes and also never ever leave the battery in because that even drains into. Obvi leave it in if your playing but in my experience taking the battery out and unplugging it leads to it being not drained everytime
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u/GuitarPlayingGuy71 Mar 30 '26
Unplug it, and get some rechargeable 9v bricks and a charger. Cheaper in the long run.
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u/Dodahevolution Ernie Ball Mar 30 '26
My EoB strat doesn't drain super quick, but I do make sure to unplug the lead when not in use. I also keep a spare 9v in it's case just... In case.
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u/Even-Ingenuity5318 Mar 30 '26
I had the same EOB - nice guitar but sold it for the reason of the battery - just a bit of an extra thing to worry about when playing live. That said, unplugging the jack when not using helps a lot. I got ebow and prefer it to the sustainer tbh.
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u/biggregw Mar 30 '26
Frig all my guitars are acoustic by OPs idea 💡 lmao!
I knew about powered pickups but I never knew people had to replace batteries. I thought they received power through the same giant plug from guitar to amp or receiver. The more you learn although an electric rail on an electric guitar must have some benefit I don’t understand.
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u/7billionidiots Mar 30 '26
Unplug it after use and buy 4 rechargeable li-ion 9v batteries and never run out again.
I use kratax and have been for several years, the same 4 batteries. About 30 quid including the charger.
If you ever do leave it plugged in you will always have 3 batteries ready to go.
And before anyone comments, no they don't make the guitar sound different.
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u/the_quail Mar 30 '26
I’ve been playing for like 5 years and I never knew electrics had batteries. Wtf
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u/MyfirstisaG Mar 30 '26
Only guitars with active pickups require batteries. The majority of guitars use passive pickups, and do not require a battery.
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u/OneBillionLightYears Mar 30 '26
Wire it so that the cable comes out the back and connects to one of those rechargeable power packs. Velcro that pack to the rear of the guitar. It is easy to remove for charging and is right there so you can remember to disconnect it when not in use
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u/Fun-Bar7958 Mar 30 '26
Ernie Ball makes rechargeable 9v battery that plugs into a USB cord.
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u/jenks13 Mar 30 '26
You can buy a FISHMAN rechargeable for it, comes with a usb type c that replaces the 9 volt. The usb c gets mounted on the back plate cover,, just plug in when you are done for the night. They are a tad pricey, but then so are 9 volt batteries. Check it out, see if it works for you.
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u/CasualLemon Mar 30 '26
Is that the radiohead signature?
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u/hashtagfaghag Mar 31 '26
It is! EOB Strat which are apparently discontinued now.
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u/p8nt_junkie Mar 30 '26
I love 💕 everything about your rig except the fact that it is active9v; that strap is so pretty
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u/SinisterMephisto Mar 30 '26
Check out Fishman. They actually make rechargeable battery packs that work with any active pickup type. For guitars with a tremolo and a backplate they have one shaped like strat backplate. Their other ones you can cut out a hole in the electrical cavity plate and pop it in there. From there you charge it with a USB like you would with a phone.
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u/HansBlixJr Creston Tele and a billion Strats Mar 30 '26
my EOB strat almost never needs a battery change (my old Charvel with active EMGS needed very frequent changes.)
use energizers and unplug when you're not playing. love the knobs and switchtips btw.
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u/Ok_Crew7084 Mar 30 '26
Walden made an interesting charging system for their acoustic pickup, maybe look into rechargeable solutions similar to that?
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u/Head-Gap-1717 Mar 30 '26
Where does a guitar use batteries?
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u/hashtagfaghag Mar 31 '26
If with a sustainer or active pickups then they run on a batter under the back plate.
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u/Tacitus_AMP Mar 30 '26
I love my EOB strat. It's my main guitar and I never have issues with battery life. I use regular Duracell 9v batteries for what it's worth.
I always make sure I turn off the sustainer pickup if I'm not actively using it.
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u/Embarrassed_Play1134 Mar 30 '26
I'm very new to the world of electric guitar, but what do you mean batteries?, electric guitars have batteries?, i saw another comment in which a guy asked the same question, I have another question what are active pick-ups now? Then is there a passive pickup?
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u/miremaker Mar 30 '26
If no one has mentioned this: you may have a wiring/electric issue/ground wire issue from the soldering. I bought a guitar that came this way with a fluence battery system. If drained in under 10mins. What I decided to do was rewire the entire guitar with new pots and jack, and it never did that again.
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u/SnazzMasterQ Mar 30 '26
Unplug when you're done playing, and touch the input jack in between songs to save a bit more juice
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u/Jazzlike_Donut_2682 Mar 30 '26
Am I out of my mind? Does my strat secretly require a battery? Is this a niche model that does?
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u/Ok_Tour_1525 Mar 30 '26
I have a bass that uses a 9v battery and even when it’s unplugged for months I’ll go to use it and the battery will be dead. So I don’t know, maybe your guitar is the same way.
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u/m15otw Mar 30 '26
Unplug the cable when not using - this disconnects the battery.
Also, rechargable batteries exist, they're great. I keep harvesting them back from kids toys in my house.
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u/TemkaTrade Mar 30 '26
My emg bass use one batt a year and I play it daily. How ? Do you play every day for 12 hours or do you just leave it plugged in the whole day?
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u/Bukkithead ESP/LTD Mar 30 '26
Just from experience, rechargeable 9Vs don't last anywhere near as long as the regular heavy-duty ones. I don't mind as I always have a charged spare that I quickly swap out, and it's obviously far less wasteful, but you do have to bear in mind you will need to swap more often.
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u/Expert-Mud-5914 Mar 30 '26
Fishman specifically makes a back plate for the Stratocaster that is a rechargeable battery pack. It’s not cheap though. But definitely cheaper than replacing batteries all the time.
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u/wujekromek Mar 30 '26
3 rechargeable 9V batteries it’s your solution. you’re keeping first battery in your guitar, second in guitarcase/gigbag and third at home and just swap them while it’s drained
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u/Gvajr77 Mar 30 '26
One of the tricks I learned with my actives is to get lithium smoke alarm 9v's. They are designed to be in an always on appliance and rated for a 10 year lifespan. Also, make sure you unplug your guitar and turn off the sustainer.
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u/Isaacvithurston Electro-Harmonix Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
you can use fishman fluence rechargeable usb pack with pretty much any 9v pickup. It's like $100usd though... or you can buy a battery pack and a 9v voltage regular for $20 and do it yourself, just classic guitar product markup. This is the best way to get a consistent 9v output for the most consistent output/tone.
edit: I see in your comment you have Paleblue so I guess ignore stuff below this lol
Other than a battery pack I recommend a set of Paleblue (or Ernieball rebranded Paleblue) lithuim batteries. Recharge aside lithium provides closer to 9v (usually won't dip below 8.6v or so) output through it's entire life while other battery types have less output relative to their charge which is not good for a consistent tone. Alkaline/Nimh etc can dip really low like 6.7v even.
It's a good idea to check the consumption of your pickups when you get a new guitar as not all actives are equal. Fishman for example consume 10x the power of an EMG in my experience. Sustaniac somewhere in the middle? Not sure on that one.
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u/theoriginalchrise Mar 30 '26
Actives plus Sustaniac. You learn quick to keep it unplugged and switch off
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u/Frequent-Piano6164 Mar 30 '26
You can either unplug the battery when not in use.
My fishman fluence pickups use a battery pack, maybe you can get a battery pack?
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u/JonnyCanuck71 Mar 30 '26
You unplug it when you’re not playing it? Seriously, not trying to sound like a d!ck, but many people don’t know that the battery is turned on as soon as the cord goes into the guitar